Ben Johnson surprised a few people when he chose the Chicago Bears as his first head coaching job, but according to Johnson himself, that was the job he wanted all along.
Johnson was introduced at the Bears facility on Tuesday, and he was clear his short introduction that Chicago was always his preferred destination.
”My family and I, we are beyond excited. This is exactly where we wanted to be. This is exactly where we want to be,” Johnson said to a building of clapping employees.
Obviously, Johnson chose the Bears, and he wouldn’t be in Chicago if wanted to be in Las Vegas.
But based on the way the process played out, it hits a little harder for Raider fans to hear him say he always preferred the Bears.
For over a week, the popular narrative around Johnson was that he was leaning toward taking the Raiders job, and at one point in the process NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said agents and other coaching candidates were essentially penciling in Johnson to the Raiders.
“The people who are associated with the Raiders job, I’m talking other candidates, I’m talking agents, people are the NFL, there does seem to be an acknowledgement that Ben Johnson is the leading candidate [in Las Vegas] and there a lot of people who, frankly, think he is getting it,” Rapoport reported last week. “They are not done. They certainly have not done the requirements that would allow them to hire a coach and he’s not even able to be officially hired until after the season. But it does seem like that is the direction that it is headed.”
Rapoport was among a host of insiders and beat writers who were getting the same information on Johnson, but it’s fair to wonder how much interest Johnson really had in the Raiders.
It has been rumored that Johnson is getting upwards of $13 million per year from the Bears and, if true, that figure would immediately make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL.
In order to negotiate a deal like that, Johnson needed leverage and whether it was intentional or not, the Raiders offered him all the leverage he needed with the Bears. From the outside, Johnson’s reported interest in the Raiders certainly has the look of a leverage play – especially after hearing him say his sights have always been set on the Bears.
x: @raidersbeat
13 Million dollars a year? After seeing last week’s play off game, I am surprised that the Raiders didn’t rescind their offer. Yikes! Thanks but no thanks.
He runs a quick read style offense wait until Caleb Williams starts hanging on to the ball too long, LOL
All of our so-called Insiders said we were getting Ben Johnson,and when we didn’t they all have gone silent I want to know what’s going on today is anybody showing up to the building?
John makes some valid points 🙂
All the “Insiders” and radio voices saying the Raiders were stepping up, “this has a different feel to it” “We’re at the big boys table”. Well? Bears got their man. Jets are getting matching set of HC & GM. Leaves Raiders, Saints and Jags scrapping for the leftovers. What a coincidence, three perennial bad teams.